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This time the roles were reversed, and I got to spread my hands all over his wide shoulders and back. Squeezing out the milky lotion and rubbing it into his skin felt so erotic. I could barely breathe. I tried to swallow a few times, but my mouth was dry. It caused the familiar heat to build between my legs, and I wondered if this excited him the way it excited me.
And when he came back out of the water, dripping wet, his body gleaming in the sunlight … it was impossible to look away. His tanned, sculpted chest gleamed in the sunlight. His abs look like they were carved from stone. The water trickling down his chest, clinging to that dusting of dark hair, tipped me over the edge.
I had to bite my lip, and hide what the sight of him did to me. That was before my gaze fell to navy swim trunks hanging low on his hips—clinging to every ridge of muscle—and dipped lower before I could stop myself.
And what I saw … he’sbig.
Huge.
I mean, I’dsuspectedit, but seeing it … confirmed everything. The worst part? He caught me staring. I turned red, completely mortified.
I had to look away, focus on Brooke, on anything but him. Thank God for the food, because I’ve been able to distract myself with that. And thank God he’s put a T-shirt back on.
After lunch, Brooke is busy building sandcastles, her laughter filling the air. I sit back, sipping on sparkling water as I watch her. “She’ll treasure this day forever.”
“As will I,” Jett replies, his voice contemplative. He seems lost in thought, staring out at the water. I glance at him, wondering what’s running through his mind. He’s hard to read in these moments.
“You’re doing a great job with her,” I tell him. “You really are.”
His brow furrows slightly, and he stays silent for a moment. I’m not sure if I’ve upset him or if he’s just deep in thought. “Growing up without a mother is … is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
I shift in my seat, sensing something heavy behind his words. “I know it’s hard,” I offer quietly, not sure how much to say.
Jett sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Brooke needs a mother. But it’s not that simple.”
I blink, caught off guard by the personal turn in the conversation. “Did you … think Alicia was the one?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
He gives me a long, unreadable look. “It’s not about that.”
There’s a pause, thick with unspoken tension. I know this is personal, but I also feel like I’m treading in dangerous territory with the ground constantly shifting beneath my feet.
“You need to be more open with the next nanny,” I say, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. “You can’t just expect them to be a perfect replacement. You have to listen to them.”
“I listen to you.”
I chuckle, but my heart jumps inside my ribcage at something that sounds like a compliment. “I don’t really give you advice.”
“Don’t you?” His voice is soft, his gaze intense. I let out a nervous chuckle.
Before I can respond, Brooke calls out, “Come help me with my sandcastles!”
“Go on,” I say, encouraging him.
“I’m not doing this alone. I haven’t built a sandcastle since I was a kid,” Jett protests.
“All the more reason to help your daughter now.”
“You’re coming too.” He grabs my hand, and the moment his skin touches mine, a jolt of electricity shoots through me. But he doesn’t seem to notice. He pulls me up, leading me toward Brooke.
We all join in, building sandcastles together. Brooke’s happiness is infectious, and for a while, it’s easy to forget everything else. I’ve opened the buttons to my shirt, and I do feel silly wearing it. I might as well be in a firefighter’s outfit for how ridiculous this looks. Kneeling as I am, my sarong has come undone and when it falls off, I let it. I’m not wearing a skimpy thong underneath.
I’d never have the guts to do that again, not in front of Jett, and him seeing me was a pure accident. I still feel naked in my shorts and tankini top though. It’s so hot out and I want to shrug out of my shirt, but it feels like too much exposure.
Something has shifted since lunch. I feel more relaxed, and Jett doesn’t feel like my boss. Come to think of it, that commanding, dominating man has disappeared. I like this softer, more playful Jett, and when he said this feels more like family it made goosebumps erupt all over my skin.
If only.
I shake my head, dispelling those crazy thoughts of a stupid, crazy fairytale.